Mosquito

I once heard it said “If you think something small cannot make a difference, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room!”   Have you ever felt small?  Of no consequence?  God wants to remind you... you aren’t.  You matter.  You were created to make a Godly impact on the world!

Many of us remain inactive because we don’t think we have the time, talent, resources, or influence that we need.  We see ourselves as small and unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  You woke up this morning to hear these next two words:  You matter.  God has created you with a purpose... given you a heartbeat and a destiny to fulfill.  You aren’t an accident... you are a solution.  You aren’t a mistake... you are a world changer.  You aren’t too small to matter... you are too important not to.  Get out there and make a difference for Christ!

His Loving Heart

In an issue of Leadership magazine, Ben Patterson is quoted as saying “Not only does God command us to pray, he permits us to pray.  Prayer is both a “must” and a “may”, an obligation and a gift.”

Have you ever thought about prayer like that?  God not only wants us to talk to Him... He allows us to!  The Creator of every star in the sky and every cell in our body wants us to take a few minutes out of our day and chat with Him.  Tell Him how we’re feeling... what hurts... and what we need help with.  And on top of that... God listens!  He specifically hears each individual voice calling out to Him.  Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we are to approach His throne with confidence... Knowing that what we lift up to Him matters to Him too.  In our prayers today... let’s thank God for not only saying we should pray... but for being gracious enough to allow our simple voices to reach His loving heart.

Thanksgiving

I once read a story about an eight-year old girl who was bravely fighting cancer of the nervous system.  When asked what she wanted for her 9th birthday she thought about it and said, ‘Well, I have two sticker books and a cabbage patch doll. I guess I have everything!’ 

To a young girl... just a doll and a couple of books meant the world to her.  What is that for you?  Do you have everything you need?  So many do, yet feel incomplete... like somehow if they added that one more thing they would finally be satisfied.  Problem is... once that one thing is in place... they want one more.  The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 6:8 to think differently.  It says... “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”  Good advice.  We must remember that a fulfilling life starts with us being thankful for what we have... counting on God for what we need... and staying grateful in the process. 

Simple Words

It has been said that famed children’s author, Dr. Seuss, loved challenges.  In 1959, the co-founder of his publishing company bet him that he couldn’t write an actual book... with a good story... using 50 words or less.  The result?  The beloved book, “Green Eggs and Ham”  To date, it has sold over 200 million copies... using only 49 words in its entirety.  It was an actual story... but told simply for easy comprehension.    

This got me to thinking about the way Jesus communicated with people when He walked the earth.  Easy to understand messages... object lessons... relatable illustrations... all meant to be simply stated but life changing.  If we want to impact the world with the life-saving news of the Gospel, we must stay focused on keeping it understandable...    The world is searching for hope... let’s commit to not overcomplicating what Jesus meant to be easily grasped... Commit to Christ... Love God... Love others... Serve... Give... Be blessed.  Just a few words...but they make an eternal impact.  

The Remedy

In December of 2005, a team of Australian scientists confirmed what many long suspected.  There is a direct connection between emotional stress and the body’s ability to fight illness.  They discovered that when someone is dealing with anxiety, it releases a hormone that battles against the natural immune system.  In other words... worry can make us sick.

Fortunately, God has already remedied this condition... Proverbs 4 tells us that if we listen carefully to what He says... and let His promises penetrate our heart... we will experience healing and life.  So what is the antidote to stress?  God’s word.  Throughout the Bible we are told to depend on, focus on, rely on, count on, and lean on God when times get tough.  When we really start to believe that He is enough... our blood pressure goes down and we move forward to walk in His strength.   Next time you’re feeling sick... spend some time reading the Bible and claiming God’s promises... they are sure to cure!

Course of Action

I read a national survey where they asked spiritual people... “how does your faith affected your ability to make decisions?”   31% said that they made choices based on what “feels right and is comfortable.”  18% said they make choices based on whatever is best for them at the time. 14% said they choose whatever causes the least conflict with others... 16% said they choose based on God’s Word.  

Out of all that were asked... less than 2 in 10 said that they followed the Bible’s guidance over their own.  In Luke 6:46, God addresses this... He says “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”   Jesus gives us instruction through scripture and the Holy Spirit nudges us... yet lots of people ignore both when deciding a course of action.  It seems that many appreciate the wisdom between the covers of the Bible, but fail to follow and apply it because it’s difficult or unpopular.  Today... be different.  Make choices based on God’s truth... not feelings... and watch your life be blessed as a result.  

Unspoken Words

A Hebrew poet once said, “As long as a word remains unspoken, you are its master; once you utter it, you are its slave.”  So true.  Words are powerful.... they can change the course of a relationship...or ignite a revolution.  But once they escape our lips... we are responsible for their affect on the world.  

Scripture tells us in Proverbs 21:23 “"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble"   Studies have shown that the average person speaks around 13,000 words per day... that’s a lot of opportunity to make mistakes!  But it’s also a tremendous chance to share love, grace, encouragement, and, most of all, the Gospel.  Today as you have conversations... choose to be verbally intentional. Think through each syllable... weigh out each phrase.... And remember, you can’t take words back... but you can make them count for Christ.  

Do Something Good

It has been said that “ "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."  We hear statements like that and nod our head in agreement.  We know that there is evil in the world... we condemn it on Twitter... we get into spirited discussions about it over dinner... but how many of us are doing anything to change things?  

The Bible tells us that we don’t have the option to stay indifferent.  In Romans 12:21 it says, “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”  We serve a big God... and He’s stronger than anything bad the enemy could throw at us. It’s our responsibility to remember that... and be bold enough to stand up to those that want to do harm to others.   It may not be easy for us... but through God’s power and our willingness to be brave... good will ultimately win.  

Copy

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  Romans 12:2

A story is told about a couple of guests visiting the White House during the presidency of Calvin Coolidge.  As they sat at the dinner table, they watched the president pour coffee onto a saucer.  Thinking that was odd, the guests didn’t want to be rude so they copied him.  He then added coffee and cream to the mixture... the guests did the same.  Finally, without hesitation, the president of the United States bent over and put his saucer on the floor for the cat.  The guests sat there shocked... 

Many of us act the same way... We do things without knowing why or where they will lead us.  The Bible tells us to be careful of this... in Romans 12, Paul tells us not to copy the behaviors and customs of the world... but to let God steer our thoughts.  When Christ is guiding us... we end up in the center of His will for our lives.  Not pouring coffee for the cat... but making the impact we were created for!

Winning and Losing

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So l et it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”  James 1:2-4

When I went to college, I played a lot of basketball... and believe it or not, our team didn’t win every game.  As you would imagine, those losses hurt... but I remember an important truth that our coach shared with us.  He said that the wins were better for our reputation but the losses were better for our game.  Why?  Because we discovered what we needed to work on to become even better!

Sometimes in life, we have losses.  Setbacks.  Challenges that appear pointless.   Many of us look to Heaven... asking God that age old question... why?  The answer is simple...If we won all the time...if everything always worked...many would think they didn’t need God.  Failure reminds us that we can’t do it without Him... it teaches us lessons that develop our character... and as James 1 reminds us... it allows our faith and endurance to grow!  I challenge you... the next time you face a setback... see it as an opportunity to get stronger and better equipped for future success.

Not Moving

A story was told about two couples in the 1950s... A husband and wife, married for many years, were driving down the road behind a young couple in the car ahead of them.  The young couple had a car with front bench seats and the girl was sitting right next to the young man who was driving and had her head on his shoulder. The woman in the car behind sighed and said to her husband, “Do you remember how we used to be like that?  Her husband who was driving looked across the front seat and said, “I didn’t move!”

Sometimes we feel like that with God.  Why did God stop drawing close?  What happened to the way it used to be?   The truth...God didn’t move.  Whenever we feel distant from God, it isn’t Him that does the moving... it’s us.  Problem is, emotions cloud things...  When we’re happy... we feel that God is right there.  When we’re sad... we think He’s moved away.  Fact is... God is always there.  He remains vigilant and steadfast.  Find peace in that truth... walk confidently... knowing that every step you take will have two sets of footprints!

Bankruptcy

Psalm 46:10a

“Be still, and know that I am God!”

It has been reported that the average American gets 1 hour and 6 minutes less sleep than the 8 hours that they need each night.  When you add that up, that’s a 338 hour shortage... two full weeks!  Scientists have called this “sleep bankruptcy”... people walking around overtired and unaware of the risks to their health that lack of sleep poses.  

This definitely hurts our physical well-being... but there’s something that affects us far more profoundly:  A lack of spiritual rest.  So many exhaust themselves... wondering if God will come through.  Hours of time are lost to self-doubt, lack of faith, panic, and an overwhelming sense that worrying can help a situation.  God has other plans... He tells us in Psalm 46 to be still.  Rest.  Let Him be God.   When we do so, and we allow our minds and hearts to trust Him, we find ourselves refreshed and ready to enjoy the blessings that He has for us each day.

Be Bold

A student studies hard...gets her degree... graduates at the top of her class...and people call her a genius.  An athlete trains every morning without fail... climbs to the top of his game... and people call him a champion.  A person accepts Christ, studies their Bible, shares their testimony,  stands boldly for Christ, cries for the hurting, gives to the poor, and regularly attends church, they are called... religious fanatics or Jesus freaks.   

Something’s not right.  

If you’ve ever stood up for Christ and were ridiculed... you are in good company...  Matthew 5:11-12 says "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way"   

Be bold... stand up for Christ... don’t allow people with labels to stick one on you... you may not hear much applause for your efforts down here... but I can assure you, Heaven celebrates your boldness and God will reward and bless you for your commitment to Him!

Upside and Cost

The other day, I read an article about the diet soft drink, “Coke Zero”... it talked about how pleasantly surprised people were to discover how close to real coke it actually tasted.  The story said that many loved that they could have the benefits and great taste of a refreshing coke without the guilt of the calories.  

I was thinking about this when I ran across this scripture from Mark 8:34 - Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me"  A challenging verse...but Jesus makes it very clear what He requires to be a disciple.   I meet many who are Christ followers... some want God’s blessings and provision but don’t want the obedience and sacrifice He requires.  They want the taste without the calories... the upside without the cost.  If we are going to walk with Him... we can’t leave our cross laying on the ground.  Let’s commit today to pick it up, and follow Him with our whole heart...  When we do... life gets so much sweeter.  

The Plate

Maybe you’ve heard the name:  Babe Ruth... one of the all-time greatest home run hitters in the history of baseball.  714 to be exact.  What many don’t know is that he had 1330 career strikeouts when he retired.   That’s nearly twice as many failures at the plate!  When asked for the secret of his success, the Babe said “I just keep on swingin’ at ‘em!”  

That’s my challenge for you today... step up to the plate.   You’ll miss a few... but you’re destined to hit your share over the wall.  Galatians 6:9 tells us “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”   Don’t quit.  Don’t give up.  Your home runs are coming... Step boldly out of the dugout, shrug off the strike-outs, and listen to your Coach... He created you for greatness!

Only One Way

Most people think of Thomas Edison as an immediate success.  However, what many don’t realize is that some of his experiments didn’t work... in fact they failed hundreds of times.  As he struggled to perfect the storage battery... a friend sympathized with him over his failures. Edison said, 'But I haven't failed. I've found 10 thousand ways that don't work!”

10,000 may seem like an incredibly large number of attempts... but so many do the exact same thing with their eternity.  They try to be good people... and that doesn’t work.  They give money... and that’s not it.  They make deals with God... and that doesn’t do it.  They follow rules... and that doesn’t get them there.  So how can someone get to Heaven?  Jesus made it clear in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”   Why waste your life trying 10,000 ways that won’t work... Follow the One Way that does... Allow Christ into your heart as Lord and Savior... it’s the most important decision you’ll ever make.  

First

James 3:13-16 “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”

I once heard the story of two men describing a third... “Let me describe him for you,” one of them said... “He’s the kind of guy who follows you into a revolving door and comes out ahead of you... that’s selfish ambition!”

Ever met someone who’s selfish?   A person who lives with a “me first” attitude all the time?    In James 3, the Bible tells us that where there is selfish ambition, there is disorder and evil.   Self-serving people have the wrong priorities... they put themselves above others and disregard Christ’s call to be a servant.  And the evil that the passage describes?  It’s pride.  Self-centeredness.  And scripture tells us that God sets Himself against those that possess that trait.   The antidote to the poison of selfishness?  Generosity, humility, and servanthood... Let’s get out there today and show the world the love of Christ by not living “me first” but “you first”...  Selflessness like that could change the world!

Missing

I once read a quote from a 6 year old girl named Emma.  She said, “Love is when you’re missing some of your teeth but you’re not afraid to smile because your friends will still love you even though some of you is missing.”  That quote made me think of a passage of scripture I read in Romans 5... “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  

So many of us feel like something’s missing... we don’t measure up...we’ve blown it... we don’t feel worthy of Jesus’ love... But this passage assures us that Jesus doesn’t love us because we’re perfect... He loves us because He chooses to.  He loves us so much that He died for us while we were still broken, hurting, and incomplete.  Now, that’s a reason to smile!

Lying Hurts

I ran across an interesting study in USA Today connecting lying and health. Each week for 10 weeks, 110 people (aged 18-71) took a lie detector test. The test asked how many lies they had told that week. Right after, the same group took mental and physical tests to see how healthy they were. The conclusion? The more lies a person told during the week... the poorer health they were in compared to the week before. Shocking? It shouldn’t be.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 19:9 “...whoever pours out lies will perish.” Make no mistake, lying hurts us. It complicates things... forces us to remember which lies go with which situation... and eventually, as the Bible states, causes our health to decline. Is it worth it? When we are honest, both with ourselves and others, life gets easier. In fact, scripture tells us in Proverbs 3 that when we run from things like lying, our condition improves! Make the decision today to be a truth-teller... you’ll be healthier in mind and body!

In the Stands

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”  Ephesians 6:4

Michael Jordan is one of the most beloved sports figures of the modern era.  Many consider him the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. What many don’t know is that before each game, he’d scan the stands in search of his dad.  When asked why, Michael said,  “When he’s there, I know I have at least one fan.”  It didn’t matter if his son scored 50 points... or fouled out early... James Jordan cheered for his son.  

Our children need us in the stands.  They need to know that there is always going to be at least one person that supports them...even when they make a mistake.  The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6 that we are to encourage our children...not constantly ridicule them.  Of course, occasional discipline is necessary...but just knowing that you support them unconditionally will help them have confidence and succeed.  The world may try to boo your child... cheer louder.  They’ll be listening for it.  

Popcorn

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”  Hebrews 13:5 

How many of you like popcorn at the movies?  Most of us, right?  A study of moviegoers in Philadelphia found that people will eat more popcorn if it is in a bigger box.  We see it so we eat it... even when our stomachs tell us we’re full.      

This got me to thinking about contentment.  How many of us live our lives with our eyes instead of our stomachs. We see more so we want more... even when we know we have enough.  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:5 that we should be content with what we have... not spend our time trying to have all of our wants satisfied.  Look around you today... are all of your needs met?  Stop reaching into the box.  Instead, focus on giving thanks for the blessings!